Daily Reading: February 13th

Joh 4:47-54 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. (48) So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” (49) The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” (50) Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. (51) As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. (52) So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” (53) The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. (54) This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

This is one of those pictures of Jesus that usually disturbs me a bit. This father comes to him asking him for help and does he address the father? Nope. Jesus instead goes off on how unless you all see signs you will not believe. Was Jesus talking to the father? If he was it was only because the “you” there is plural. But here Jesus seems to be ignoring the man who is pleading to him.

But the man will have none of it. Politely, yet sternly, the father begs Jesus to come to his house before his son dies. Jesus seems to be ignoring him, he ignores Jesus’ rant. He knows what he wants. He knows and believes Jesus is able to help him. He’s not going to let Jesus’ quirkiness keep him getting what he needs. You and I need to be more like this father. Do we believe who Jesus his? Do we believe what he is able to do? Do we believe despite of all the queerness of Jesus and God (according to our human understanding) that God and Jesus are willing to help us in our life with our problems with all our life?

On the other hand, is Jesus talking to us? Are we the “you all” he’s talking to? Do we demand from Jesus signs before we will believe and trust in him? Do we try to tell him the terms by which we will be followers? If we don’t get what we want when we want it and how we want it do we turn away from following him? Jesus tells us we will only get one sign, the sign of Jonah. What is that? That he would die, be buried and on the third day he would rise from the dead. Did that happen? Jesus did die. Jesus was buried. On the third day that tomb was empty. Jesus is risen from the dead! That is what you need to know to believe or trust in Jesus. No other miracles will be given you so that you would trust in him. It’s not going to happen. Don’t look for it. That is in order to put your faith in Jesus. As disciples of Jesus we can certainly expect that he presents our prayers to the Father. We can expect those prayers will be answered in a way that is best for us, for those around us and for his Church.

Heavenly Father help us to ignore our human understanding and limited understanding of of You and Your Christ and look to that which we know and what You has told us. Help us to trust in Jesus and You for all good things in this life and the next. Give faith in what You are capable and what is Your good will toward us. Let us emulate the father in today’s story and not get distracted but be diligent in our prayers. Amen.